U.S. patent application number 15/990254 was filed with the patent office on 2019-04-04 for semiconductor device with air gap and method for fabricating the same.
The applicant listed for this patent is SK hynix Inc.. Invention is credited to Jae-Man YOON.
Application Number | 20190103302 15/990254 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 65896823 |
Filed Date | 2019-04-04 |
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United States Patent
Application |
20190103302 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
YOON; Jae-Man |
April 4, 2019 |
SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE WITH AIR GAP AND METHOD FOR FABRICATING THE
SAME
Abstract
A method for fabricating a semiconductor device includes:
forming a plurality of bit line structures over a semiconductor
substrate; forming a line-type opening between the bit line
structures; forming a sacrificial spacer on both sidewalls of the
line-type opening; forming a line-type plug filling the line-type
opening over the sacrificial spacer; forming a plurality of plug
isolation openings that expose the sacrificial spacer by etching a
portion of the line-type plug in a direction crossing the bit line
structures; forming a plurality of air gaps by removing the exposed
sacrificial spacer; removing a remaining line-type plug below the
plug isolation openings to form a plurality of island-type plugs;
and forming a plug isolation layer inside the plug isolation
openings to isolate neighboring island-type plugs from each
other.
Inventors: |
YOON; Jae-Man; (Seoul,
KR) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
SK hynix Inc. |
Gyeonggi-do |
|
KR |
|
|
Family ID: |
65896823 |
Appl. No.: |
15/990254 |
Filed: |
May 25, 2018 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H01L 27/10855 20130101;
H01L 21/76805 20130101; H01L 27/10888 20130101; H01L 21/76895
20130101; H01L 21/76897 20130101; H01L 27/10885 20130101; H01L
21/7682 20130101 |
International
Class: |
H01L 21/768 20060101
H01L021/768; H01L 27/108 20060101 H01L027/108 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Sep 29, 2017 |
KR |
10-2017-0127595 |
Claims
1. A method for fabricating a semiconductor device, comprising:
forming a plurality of bit line structures over a semiconductor
substrate; forming a line-type opening between the bit line
structures; forming a sacrificial spacer on both sidewalls of the
line-type opening; forming a line-type plug by filling the
line-type opening over the sacrificial spacer; forming a plurality
of plug isolation openings that expose the sacrificial spacer by
etching a portion of the line-type plug in a direction crossing the
bit line structures; forming a plurality of air gaps by removing
the exposed sacrificial spacer; removing a remaining line-type plug
below the plug isolation openings to form a plurality of
island-type plugs; and forming a plug isolation layer inside the
plug isolation openings to isolate neighboring island-type plugs
from each other.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein in the forming of the plurality
of the air gaps by removing the exposed sacrificial spacer, each of
the air gaps is formed to have a linear shape that is extended in
parallel with both sidewalls of each of the bit line
structures.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein the forming of the plug isolation
layer inside the plug isolation openings to isolate the neighboring
island-type plugs from each other includes: transforming the air
gaps into isolated-type air gaps that are disposed between the bit
line structures and the island-type plugs, wherein the
isolated-type air gaps are isolated from each other by the plug
isolation layer.
4. The method of claim 1, further comprising, after the forming of
the plug isolation layer inside the plug isolation openings to
isolate the neighboring island-type plugs from each other:
recessing an upper portion of each of the island-type plugs to form
a plug recess portion; forming a surrounding spacer on a sidewall
of the plug recess portion; forming an ohmic contact layer on a
surface of the recessed island-type plug; and forming a metal plug
filling the plug recess portion over the ohmic contact layer.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein the forming of the plurality of
the plug isolation openings that expose the sacrificial spacer by
etching the portion of the line-type plug in the direction crossing
the bit line structures includes: forming a plurality of mask
layers that are extended in a direction crossing the bit line
structures and the line-type plug over the bit line structures and
the line-type plug; and etching the line-type plug by using the
mask layer and the bit line structures as etch barriers in a depth
that the sacrificial spacer is exposed.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein the sacrificial spacer includes a
material having an etch selectivity with respect to the line-type
plug.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein the sacrificial spacer includes a
titanium nitride.
8. The method of claim 1, wherein the forming of the line-type plug
by filling the line-type opening over the sacrificial spacer
includes: forming a polysilicon layer over the bit line structures
to fill the line-type opening; and isolating the polysilicon layer
to be exposed at the same level as upper surfaces of the bit line
structures.
9. The method of claim 1, wherein the forming of the plurality of
the bit line structures over the semiconductor substrate includes:
forming an inter-layer dielectric layer over the semiconductor
substrate; forming a bit line contact hole by etching the
inter-layer dielectric layer; forming a preliminary plug that fills
the bit line contact hole; sequentially forming a conductive layer
and a hard mask layer over the preliminary plug and the inter-layer
dielectric layer; sequentially etching the hard mask layer, the
conductive layer, and the preliminary plug to form the bit line
structures where a bit line contact plug, a bit line, and a bit
line hard mask layer are sequentially stacked; and forming a bit
line spacer on both sidewalls of the bit line, the bit line contact
plug, and the bit line hard mask layer.
10. The method of claim 9, wherein the air gaps are formed between
the bit line and the island-type plugs and extended vertically to
be positioned between the island-type plug and the bit line contact
plug.
11. A method for fabricating a semiconductor device, comprising:
forming a plurality of bit line structures over a semiconductor
substrate; forming a line-type opening between the bit line
structures; forming a sacrificial spacer on both sidewalls of the
line-type opening; forming a line-type plug by filling the
line-type opening between the bit line structures over the
sacrificial spacer; forming a plurality of island-type plugs and a
plurality of plug isolation openings by etching the line-type plug
in a direction crossing the bit line structures; and forming a
plurality of air gaps by removing the sacrificial spacer exposed by
the plug isolation openings.
12. The method of claim 11, wherein in the forming of the plurality
of the air gaps by removing the sacrificial spacer exposed by the
plug isolation openings, each of the air gaps is formed to have a
linear shape that is extended in parallel with both sidewalls of
each of the bit line structures.
13. The method of claim 11, wherein the forming of the plug
isolation layer inside the plug isolation openings to isolate the
neighboring island-type plugs from each other include: transforming
the air gaps into isolated-type air gaps that are disposed between
the bit line structures and the island-type plugs, wherein the
isolated-type air gaps are isolated from each other by the plug
isolation layer.
14. The method of claim 11, further comprising, after the forming
of the plug isolation layer inside the plug isolation openings to
isolate the neighboring island-type plugs from each other:
recessing an upper portion of each of the island-type plugs to form
a plug recess portion; forming a surrounding spacer on a sidewall
of the plug recess portion; forming an ohmic contact layer on a
surface of the recessed island-type plug; and forming a metal plug
filling the plug recess portion over the ohmic contact layer.
15. The method of claim 11, wherein the forming of the plurality of
the island-type plugs and the plurality of the plug isolation
openings by etching the line-type plug in the direction crossing
the bit line structures includes: forming a plurality of mask
layers that are extended in a direction crossing the bit line
structures and the line-type plug over the bit line structures and
the line-type plug; and etching the line-type plug by using the
mask layer and the bit line structures as etch barriers.
16. The method of claim 11, wherein the sacrificial spacer includes
a material having an etch selectivity with respect to the line-type
plug.
17. The method of claim 11, wherein the sacrificial spacer includes
a titanium nitride.
18. The method of claim 11, wherein the forming of the line-type
plug by filling the line-type opening over the sacrificial spacer
includes: forming a polysilicon layer over the bit line structures
to fill the line-type opening; and isolating the polysilicon layer
to be exposed at the same level as upper surfaces of the bit line
structures.
19. The method of claim 11, wherein the forming of the plurality of
the bit line structures over the semiconductor substrate includes:
forming an inter-layer dielectric layer over the semiconductor
substrate; forming a bit line contact hole by etching the
inter-layer dielectric layer; forming a preliminary plug that fills
the bit line contact hole; sequentially forming a conductive layer
and a hard mask layer over the preliminary plug and the inter-layer
dielectric layer; sequentially etching the hard mask layer, the
conductive layer, and the preliminary plug to form the bit line
structures where a bit line contact plug, a bit line, and a bit
line hard mask layer are sequentially stacked; and forming a bit
line spacer on both sidewalls of the bit line, the bit line contact
plug, and the bit line hard mask layer.
20. The method of claim 19, wherein the air gaps are formed between
the bit line and the island-type plugs and extended vertically to
be positioned between the island-type plug and the bit line contact
plug.
21. The method of claim 11, further comprising, after forming a
plurality of air gaps by removing the sacrificial spacer exposed by
the plug isolation openings: forming a plug isolation layer inside
the plug isolation openings to isolate neighboring island-type
plugs from each other.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] The present application claims priority of Korean Patent
Application No. 10-2017-0127595, filed on Sep. 29, 2017, which is
incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
BACKGROUND
1. Field
[0002] Exemplary embodiments of the present invention relate to a
semiconductor device provided with air gaps, and a method for
fabricating the semiconductor device.
2. Description of the Related Art
[0003] A dielectric material is formed between neighboring
conductive structures in a semiconductor device. As semiconductor
devices are highly integrated, the distance between the conductive
structures becomes closer to each other. The close distance between
the conductive structures increases parasitic capacitance, and the
increase in the parasitic capacitance deteriorates performance of
the semiconductor device.
[0004] To reduce the parasitic capacitance, a dielectric constant
of the dielectric material may be decreased. However, since the
dielectric material still has a high dielectric constant, there is
limitation in the parasitic capacitance.
SUMMARY
[0005] Embodiments of the present invention are directed to a
semiconductor device capable of reducing parasitic capacitance
between neighboring conductive structures, and a method for
fabricating the semiconductor device
[0006] In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, a
method for fabricating a semiconductor device includes: forming a
plurality of bit line structures over a semiconductor substrate;
forming a line-type opening between the bit line structures;
forming a sacrificial spacer on both sidewalls of the line-type
opening; forming a line-type plug filling the line-type opening
over the sacrificial spacer; forming a plurality of plug isolation
openings that expose the sacrificial spacer by etching a portion of
the line-type plug in a direction crossing the bit line structures;
forming a plurality of air gaps by removing the exposed sacrificial
spacer; removing a remaining line-type plug below the plug
isolation openings to form a plurality of island-type plugs; and
forming a plug isolation layer inside the plug isolation openings
to isolate neighboring island-type plugs from each other.
[0007] In the forming of the plurality of the air gaps by removing
the exposed sacrificial spacer, each of the air gaps may be formed
to have a linear shape that is extended in parallel with both
sidewalls of each of the bit line structures.
[0008] The forming of the plug isolation layer inside the plug
isolation openings to isolate the neighboring island-type plugs
from each other may include transforming the air gaps into
isolated-type air gaps that are disposed between the bit line
structures and the island-type plugs, and the isolated-type air
gaps may be isolated from each other by the plug isolation
layer.
[0009] The method may further include, after the forming of the
plug isolation layer inside the plug isolation openings to isolate
the neighboring island-type plugs from each other: recessing an
upper portion of each of the island-type plugs to form a plug
recess portion; forming a surrounding spacer on a sidewall of the
plug recess portion; forming an ohmic contact layer on a surface of
the recessed island-type plug; and forming a metal plug filling the
plug recess portion over the ohmic contact layer.
[0010] The forming of the plurality of the plug isolation openings
that expose the sacrificial spacer by etching the portion of the
line-type plug in the direction crossing the bit line structures
may include: forming a plurality of mask layers that are extended
in a direction crossing the bit line structures and the line-type
plug over the bit line structures and the line-type plug; and
etching the line-type plug by using the mask layer and the bit line
structures as etch barriers in a depth that the sacrificial spacer
is exposed.
[0011] The sacrificial spacer may include a material having an etch
selectivity with respect to the line-type plug.
[0012] The sacrificial spacer may include a titanium nitride.
[0013] The forming of the line-type plug filling the line-type
opening over the sacrificial spacer may include: forming a
polysilicon layer over the bit line structures to fill the
line-type opening; and isolating the polysilicon layer to be
exposed at the same level as upper surfaces of the bit line
structures.
[0014] The forming of the plurality of the bit line structures over
the semiconductor substrate may include: forming an inter-layer
dielectric layer over the semiconductor substrate; forming a bit
line contact hole by etching the inter-layer dielectric layer;
forming a preliminary plug that fills the bit line contact hole;
sequentially forming a conductive layer and a hard mask layer over
the preliminary plug and the inter-layer dielectric layer;
sequentially etching the hard mask layer, the conductive layer, and
the preliminary plug to form the bit line structures where a bit
line contact plug, a bit line, and a bit line hard mask layer are
sequentially stacked; and forming a bit line spacer on both
sidewalls of the bit line, the bit line contact plug, and the bit
line hard mask layer.
[0015] The air gaps may be formed between the bit line and the
island-type plugs and extended vertically to be positioned between
the island-type plug and the bit line contact plug.
[0016] In accordance with another embodiment of the present
invention, a method for fabricating a semiconductor device
includes: forming a plurality of bit line structures over a
semiconductor substrate; forming a line-type opening between the
bit line structures; forming a sacrificial spacer on both sidewalls
of the line-type opening; forming a line-type plug filling a space
between the bit line structures over the sacrificial spacer;
forming a plurality of island-type plugs and a plurality of plug
isolation openings by etching the line-type plug in a direction
crossing the bit line structures; and forming a plurality of air
gaps by removing the sacrificial spacer exposed by the plug
isolation openings.
[0017] In the forming of the plurality of the air gaps by removing
the sacrificial spacer exposed by the plug isolation openings, each
of the air gaps may be formed to have a linear shape that is
extended in parallel with both sidewalls of each of the bit line
structures.
[0018] In the forming of the plug isolation layer inside the plug
isolation openings to isolate the neighboring island-type plugs
from each other, the air gaps may be transformed into isolated-type
air gaps that are disposed between the bit line structures and the
island-type plugs, and the isolated-type air gaps may be isolated
from each other by the plug isolation layer.
[0019] The method may further include, after the forming of the
plug isolation layer inside the plug isolation openings to isolate
the neighboring island-type plugs from each other: recessing an
upper portion of each of the island-type plugs to form a plug
recess portion; forming a surrounding spacer on a sidewall of the
plug recess portion; forming an ohmic contact layer on a surface of
the recessed island-type plug; and forming a metal plug filling the
plug recess portion over the ohmic contact layer.
[0020] The forming of the plurality of the island-type plugs and
the plurality of the plug isolation openings by etching the
line-type plug in the direction crossing the bit line structures
may include: forming a plurality of mask layers that are extended
in a direction crossing the bit line structures and the line-type
plug over the bit line structures and the line-type plug; and
etching the line-type plug by using the mask layer and the bit line
structures as etch barriers.
[0021] The sacrificial spacer may include a material having an etch
selectivity with respect to the line-type plug.
[0022] The sacrificial spacer may include a titanium nitride.
[0023] The forming of the line-type plug filling the line-type
opening over the sacrificial spacer may include: forming a
polysilicon layer over the bit line structures to fill the
line-type opening; and isolating the polysilicon layer to be
exposed at the same level as upper surfaces of the bit line
structures.
[0024] The forming of the plurality of the bit line structures over
the semiconductor substrate may include: forming an inter-layer
dielectric layer over the semiconductor substrate; forming a bit
line contact hole by etching the inter-layer dielectric layer;
forming a preliminary plug that fills the bit line contact hole;
sequentially forming a conductive layer and a hard mask layer over
the preliminary plug and the inter-layer dielectric layer;
sequentially etching the hard mask layer, the conductive layer, and
the preliminary plug to form the bit line structures where a bit
line contact plug, a bit line, and a bit line hard mask layer are
sequentially stacked; and forming a bit line spacer on both
sidewalls of the bit line, the bit line contact plug, and the bit
line hard mask layer.
[0025] The air gaps may be formed between the bit line and the
island-type plugs and extended vertically to be positioned between
the island-type plug and the bit line contact plug.
[0026] The method may further include, after forming a plurality of
air gaps by removing the sacrificial spacer exposed by the plug
isolation openings: forming a plug isolation layer inside the plug
isolation openings to isolate neighboring island-type plugs from
each other.
[0027] In accordance with yet another embodiment of the present
invention, a semiconductor device includes: a plurality of bit line
structures formed over a semiconductor substrate to be spaced apart
from each other; a bit line spacer formed on both sidewalls of each
of the bit line structures; a plurality of island-type plugs formed
between the bit line structures to contact the semiconductor
substrate; a plug isolation layer formed between the island-type
plugs; and a plurality of air gaps formed between the island-type
plugs and the bit line spacer.
[0028] The air gaps may be isolated-type air gaps disposed between
the bit line structures and the island-type plugs.
[0029] Each of the bit line structures may include: a bit line
contact plug over the semiconductor substrate; a bit line over the
bit line contact plug; and a bit line hard mask layer over the bit
line.
[0030] Each of the air gaps may be formed between the bit line and
an island-type plug to be extended to be disposed between the bit
line contact plug and the island-type plug.
[0031] Each of the island-type plugs may include: a bottom portion
which is adjacent to the bit line contact plug with the air gap
therebetween; a middle portion which is disposed over the bottom
portion to be adjacent to the bit line with the air gap
therebetween; and a head portion which is disposed over the middle
portion to contact the bit line spacer while capping an upper
portion of the air gap.
[0032] The island-type plugs may include a polysilicon layer.
[0033] The semiconductor device may further include: a plug recess
portion which is formed over the island-type plugs in such a manner
that upper portions of the island-type plugs are positioned at a
lower level than upper portions of the bit line structures; a
surrounding spacer suitable for surrounding a sidewall of the plug
recess portion; an ohmic contact layer formed on surfaces of the
island-type plugs; and a metal plug which is formed over the ohmic
contact layer to fill the plug recess portion.
[0034] The semiconductor device may further include: an isolation
layer which is formed to define a plurality of active regions in
the semiconductor substrate; a gate trench which traverses the
active regions and the isolation layer; and a buried word line
which is formed inside the gate trench.
[0035] These and other features and advantages of the present
invention will become apparent from the following detailed
description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0036] FIG. 1 is a plan view illustrating a semiconductor device in
accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
[0037] FIG. 2A is a cross-sectional view of the semiconductor
device taken along a line A-A' shown in FIG. 1.
[0038] FIG. 2B is a cross-sectional view of the semiconductor
device taken along a line B-B' shown in FIG. 1.
[0039] FIG. 2C is a cross-sectional view of the semiconductor
device taken along a line C-C' shown in FIG. 1.
[0040] FIG. 3A is a plan view of the semiconductor device taken
along a line D-D' shown in FIG. 2A.
[0041] FIG. 3B is a plan view of the semiconductor device taken
along a line E-E' shown in FIG. 2A.
[0042] FIG. 3C is a plan view of the semiconductor device taken
along a line F-F' shown in FIG. 2A.
[0043] FIGS. 4A to 4Q are plan views illustrating an example of a
method for fabricating the semiconductor device in accordance with
an embodiment of the present invention.
[0044] FIGS. 5A to 5Q are cross-sectional views of the method for
fabricating the semiconductor device taken along lines A-A', B-B'
and C-C' shown in FIGS. 4A to 4Q.
[0045] FIG. 6 illustrates a semiconductor device in accordance with
another embodiment of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0046] Exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be
described below in more detail with reference to the accompanying
drawings. The present invention may, however, be embodied in
different forms and should not be construed as limited to the
embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are
provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and
will fully convey the scope of the present invention to those
skilled in the art. Throughout the disclosure, like reference
numerals refer to like parts throughout the various figures and
embodiments of the present invention.
[0047] The drawings are not necessarily to scale and in some
instances, proportions may have been exaggerated in order to
clearly illustrate features of the embodiments. When a first layer
is referred to as being "on" a second layer or "on" a substrate, it
not only refers to a case where the first layer is formed directly
on the second layer or the substrate but also a case where a third
layer exists between the first layer and the second layer or the
substrate.
[0048] Although the terms such as first and second may be used to
describe various components, the components are not limited by the
terms, and the terms are used only to distinguish components from
other components.
[0049] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing
particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of
the present invention. As used herein, singular forms are intended
to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly
indicates otherwise.
[0050] It will be further understood that the terms comprises,
comprising, includes, and including when used in this
specification, specify the presence of the stated elements and do
not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other
elements. As used herein, the term "and/or" includes any and all
combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.
[0051] In the following description, numerous specific details are
set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the
present invention. However, it is noted that the present invention
may be practiced without some or all of these specific details. In
other instances, well-known process structures and/or processes
have not been described in detail in order not to unnecessarily
obscure the present invention.
[0052] It is also noted, that in some instances, as would be
apparent to those skilled in the relevant art, a feature or element
described in connection with one embodiment may be used singly or
in combination with other features or elements of another
embodiment, unless otherwise specifically indicated.
[0053] FIG. 1 is a plan view illustrating a semiconductor device in
accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2A is
a cross-sectional view of the semiconductor device taken along a
line A-A' shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 2B is a cross-sectional view of the
semiconductor device taken along a line B-B' shown in FIG. 1. FIG.
2C is a cross-sectional view of the semiconductor device taken
along a line C-C' shown in FIG. 1.
[0054] The semiconductor device 100 may include a plurality of
memory cells. Each of the memory cells may include a cell
transistor including a buried word line 206, a bit line 213, and a
memory element 230.
[0055] Hereafter, the semiconductor device 100 may be described in
detail.
[0056] An isolation layer 202 and an active region 203 may be
formed in a substrate 201. A plurality of active regions 203 may be
defined by the isolation layer 202. The substrate 201 may be formed
of or include a material that is suitable for semiconductor
processing. The substrate 201 may include a semiconductor
substrate. The substrate 201 may be formed of a material containing
silicon. The substrate 201 may include silicon, monocrystalline
silicon, polycrystalline silicon (i.e., polysilicon), amorphous
silicon, silicon germanium, monocrystalline silicon germanium,
polycrystalline silicon germanium, carbon-doped silicon,
combinations thereof, or a multi-layer of them. The substrate 201
may include another semiconductor material, such as germanium. The
substrate 201 may include a III/V-group semiconductor substrate,
e.g., a chemical compound semiconductor substrate such as a gallium
arsenide (GaAs). The substrate 201 may include a Silicon On
Insulator (SOI). The isolation layer 202 may be formed through a
Shallow Trench Isolation (STI).
[0057] A gate trench 204 may be formed in the substrate 201. A gate
dielectric layer 205 may be formed on the surface of the gate
trench 204. A buried word line 206 filling a portion of the gate
trench 204 may be formed over the gate dielectric layer 205. A gate
capping layer 207 may be formed over the buried word line 206. The
top surface of the buried word line 206 may be lower than the top
surface of the substrate 201. The buried word line 206 may include
a low-resistivity metal material. The buried word line 206 may
include a titanium nitride and tungsten that are sequentially
stacked one on the other. According to another embodiment of the
present invention, the buried word line 206 may be formed of a
titanium nitride (TIN) only.
[0058] A first impurity region 208 and a second impurity region 209
may be formed in the substrate 201. The first impurity region 208
and the second impurity region 209 may be spaced apart from each
other by the gate trench 204. The first impurity region 208 and the
second impurity region 209 may be referred to as source and drain
regions. The first impurity region 208 and the second impurity
region 209 may include an N-type impurity, such as arsenic (As) or
phosphorus (P). As a result, the buried word line 206, the first
impurity region 208, and the second impurity region 209 may become
a cell transistor. The cell transistor may improve a short-channel
effect due to the presence of the buried word line 206.
[0059] A bit line contact plug 210 may be formed over the substrate
201. The bit line contact plug 210 may be coupled to the first
impurity region 208. The bit line contact plug 210 may be
positioned inside a bit line contact hole 211. The bit line contact
hole 211 may be formed in a hard mask layer 212. The hard mask
layer 212 may be formed over the substrate 201. The bit line
contact hole 211 may expose the first impurity region 208. The
bottom surface of the bit line contact plug 210 may be lower than
the top surface of the substrate 201. The bit line contact plug 210
may be formed of polysilicon or a metal material. A portion of the
bit line contact plug 210 may have a narrower line width than the
diameter of the bit line contact hole 211. The bit line 213 may be
formed over the bit line contact plug 210. A bit line hard mask 214
may be formed over the bit line 213. The stacked structure of the
bit line contact plug 210, the bit line 213, and the bit line hard
mask 214 may be called a bit line structure BL. The bit line 213
may have a linear shape that is extended in a direction crossing
the buried word line 206. A portion of the bit line 213 may be
coupled to the bit line contact plug 210. From the perspective of
the line A-A', the bit line 213 and the bit line contact plug 210
may have the same line width. Therefore, the bit line 213 may be
extended in one direction while covering the bit line contact plug
210. The bit line 213 may be made of or include a metal material.
The bit line hard mask 214 may be made of or include a dielectric
material.
[0060] A bit line spacer 215 may be formed on the sidewall of the
bit line structure BL. The bottom portion of the bit line spacer
215 may be extended to be formed on both sidewalls of the bit line
contact plug 210. The bit line spacer 215 may be made of or include
a silicon oxide, a silicon nitride, or a combination thereof.
[0061] A plurality of air gaps 216 may be formed on the sidewall of
the bit line spacer 215.
[0062] A storage node contact plug SNC may be formed between the
neighboring bit line structures BL. The storage node contact plug
SNC may be formed in a storage node contact hole 217. The storage
node contact hole 217 may have a high aspect ratio. The high aspect
ratio may have a height-to-width aspect ratio greater than 10:1.
The storage node contact plug SNC may be coupled to the second
impurity region 209. The storage node contact plug SNC may include
an island-type plug 218 and an upper plug 220. The storage node
contact plug SNC may further include an ohmic contact layer 219
between the island-type plug 218 and the upper plug 220. The ohmic
contact layer 219 may be made of or include a metal silicide. The
upper plug 220 may be made of or include a metal material.
[0063] From a perspective view in parallel with the bit line
structure BL, a plug isolation layer 221 may be formed between the
neighboring island-type plugs 218. The plug isolation layer 221 may
be formed between the neighboring bit line structures BL, and the
plug isolation layer 221 may be able to provide the storage node
contact hole 217 along with the hard mask layer 212. The air gaps
216 may have an isolated form due to the presence of the plug
isolation layer 221. Referring to FIG. 1, the air gaps 216 may be
formed in plural along both sidewalls of each bit line structure
BL. Since the plug isolation layer 221 is disposed between the air
gaps 216, the neighboring air gaps 216 may be discontinuous.
Referring to FIG. 2A, the air gaps 216 may be disposed between the
bit line contact plug 210 and the island-type plug 218. The air
gaps 216 may be extended in a vertical direction to be disposed
between the bit line 213 and the island-type plug 218.
[0064] The upper plug 220 may be surrounded by a surrounding spacer
222. The surrounding spacer 222 may be made of or include a silicon
nitride.
[0065] The memory element 230 may be formed over the upper plug
220. The memory element 230 may include a capacitor including a
storage node. The storage node may include a pillar-type storage
node. Although not illustrated, a dielectric layer and a plate node
may be further formed over the storage node. The storage node may
be a cylinder-type storage node, other than the pillar-type storage
node.
[0066] FIGS. 3A to 3C illustrate the island-type plug 218 in
detail. FIG. 3A is a plan view of the semiconductor device taken
along a line D-D' shown in FIG. 2A. FIG. 3B is a plan view of the
semiconductor device taken along a line E-E' shown in FIG. 2A. FIG.
3C is a plan view of the semiconductor device taken along a line
F-F' shown in FIG. 2A.
[0067] Referring to FIGS. 2A and FIGS. 3A to 3C, the island-type
plug 218 may include a bottom portion 218L, a middle portion 218M,
and a head portion 218H that are stacked. The stacked structure of
the middle portion 218M and the head portion 218H may have a `T`
shape. The head portion 218H of the island-type plug 218 may have a
relatively wider surface area than the middle portion 218M. The
middle portion 218M may be adjacent to the air gaps 216, and the
head portion 218H may cover the upper portion of the air gaps 216.
The bottom portion 218L of the island-type plug 218 may be adjacent
to the bit line contact plug 210. The middle portion 218M of the
island-type plug 218 may be adjacent to the bit line 213 and a
bottom part of the bit line hard mask 214 which is surrounded by
the air gaps 216. The head portion 218H of the island-type plug 218
may be adjacent to the bit line hard mask 214 above its bottom part
which is surrounded by the air gaps 216. The air gaps 216 may be
disposed between the middle portion 218M of the island-type plug
218 and the bit line 213. The air gaps 216 may be extended to be
disposed between the bottom portion 218L of the island-type plug
218 and the bit line contact plug 210. The air gaps 216 may not be
disposed between the head portion 218H of the island-type plug 218
and the bit line hard mask 214. The air gaps 216 may be disposed
between the middle portion 218M of the island-type plug 218 and the
bottom part of the bit line hard mask 214.
[0068] From a perspective view of a Y direction, the neighboring
air gaps 216 may have an isolated form. The air gaps 216 may be
isolated from each other due to the presence of the plug isolation
layer 221 (refer to FIG. 3B).
[0069] FIGS. 4A to 5Q illustrate an example of a method for
fabricating the semiconductor device in accordance with an
embodiment of the present invention. A Dynamic Random Access Memory
(DRAM) may include a cell region where memory cells are formed and
a peripheral circuit region for controlling the input/output of
data to/from the memory cells. When a plurality of elements are
formed in the cell region and the peripheral circuit region, some
of the elements may be formed concurrently, that is, some of the
elements may be formed to be merged. FIGS. 4A to 4Q are plan views
illustrating an example of a method for fabricating the
semiconductor device in accordance with an embodiment of the
present invention. FIGS. 5A to 5Q are cross-sectional views of the
method for fabricating the semiconductor device taken along lines
A-A', B-B' and C-C' shown in FIGS. 4A to 4Q.
[0070] Referring to FIGS. 4A and 5A, an isolation layer 12 may be
formed in a substrate 11. An active region 13 may be defined by the
isolation layer 12. The isolation layer 12 may be formed through a
Shallow Trench Isolation (STI) process. The STI process may be
performed as follows. An isolation trench (no reference numeral is
given) may be formed by etching the substrate 11. The isolation
trench may be filled with a dielectric material so as to form the
isolation layer 12. The isolation layer 12 may be made of or
include a silicon oxide, a silicon nitride, or a combination
thereof. The isolation trench may be filled with a dielectric
material through a deposition process including, for example, a
Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) process. Then, a planarization
process, such as a Chemical-Mechanical Polishing (CMP) process, may
be used to remove any excess dielectric material.
[0071] Subsequently, a buried word line structure may be formed
inside the substrate 11. The buried word line structure may include
a gate trench 15, a gate dielectric layer 16 which covers the
bottom surface and sidewall of the gate trench 15, a buried word
line 17 which fills a portion of the gate trench 15 over the gate
dielectric layer 16, and a gate capping layer 18 which is formed
over the buried word line 17.
[0072] The buried word line structure may be formed through the
following method.
[0073] First of all, the gate trench 15 may be formed inside the
substrate 11. The gate trench 15 may have a linear shape traversing
the active region 13 and the isolation layer 12. The gate trench 15
may be formed by forming a mask pattern (not shown) over the
substrate 11 and performing an etch process by using the mask
pattern as an etch mask. To form the gate trench 15, a hard mask
layer 14 may be used as an etch barrier. The hard mask layer 14 may
have a patterned shape that is patterned by the mask pattern. The
hard mask layer 14 may be made of or include a silicon oxide. The
hard mask layer 14 may be made or include TEOS
(TetraEthylOrthoSilicate). The bottom surface of the gate trench 15
may be disposed at a higher level than the bottom surface of the
isolation layer 12. The gate trench 15 may have a depth that is
sufficient to make the average cross-sectional area of a buried
word line electrode, which is to be formed subsequently, as big as
possible for reducing the resistance of the gate electrode.
According to another embodiment of the present invention, a bottom
edge of the gate trench 15 may have a curvature for minimizing
protrusion and depression at the bottom portion of the gate trench
15 during the filling of the gate electrode. Hence, filling of the
gate electrode may be performed more easily.
[0074] Although not illustrated, the active region below the gate
trench 15 may be protruded by recessing a portion of the isolation
layer 12. For example, the isolation layer 12 below the gate trench
15 may be selectively recessed in the direction of the line B-B'
shown in FIG. 1. As a result, a fin region (no reference numeral is
given) may be formed below the gate trench 15. The fin region may
become a portion of a channel region.
[0075] Subsequently, the gate dielectric layer 16 may be formed
over the bottom surface and sidewalls of the gate trench 15. Before
the gate dielectric layer 16 is formed, etch damage on the surface
of the gate trench 15 may be cured. For example, a sacrificial
oxide may be formed through a thermal oxidation process and then
the sacrificial oxide may be removed.
[0076] The gate dielectric layer 16 may be formed through a thermal
oxidation process. For example, the gate dielectric layer 16 may be
formed by oxidizing the bottom and sidewalls of the gate trench
15.
[0077] According to another embodiment of the present invention,
the gate dielectric layer 16 may be formed through a deposition
process, such as a Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) process or an
Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) process. Examples, of suitable
materials for the gate dielectric layer 16 may include a high-k
material, an oxide, a nitride, an oxynitride, or a combination
thereof. The high-k material may include a hafnium-containing
material. Examples of hafnium-containing materials may include a
hafnium oxide, a hafnium silicon oxide, a hafnium silicon
oxynitride, or a combination thereof. According to another
embodiment of the present invention, the high-k material may be or
include a lanthanum oxide, a lanthanum aluminum oxide, a zirconium
oxide, a zirconium silicon oxide, a zirconium silicon oxynitride,
an aluminum oxide, and combinations thereof. As for the high-k
material, another known high-k material may be selectively
used.
[0078] According to another embodiment of the present invention,
the gate dielectric layer 16 may be formed by depositing a liner
polysilicon layer followed by radical-oxidizing of the liner
polysilicon layer.
[0079] According to yet another embodiment of the present
invention, the gate dielectric layer 16 may be formed by depositing
a liner silicon nitride layer followed by radical-oxidizing the
liner silicon nitride layer.
[0080] Subsequently, the buried word line 17 may be formed over the
gate dielectric layer 16. To form the buried word line 17, a
recessing process may be performed after a conductive layer (not
shown) is formed to fill the gate trench 15. As an example, the
recessing process may be an etch-back process. As another example,
the recessing process may include a Chemical Mechanical Polishing
(CMP) process and an etch-back process that are performed
sequentially. The buried word line 17 may have a recessed shape
filling a portion of the gate trench 15. The top surface of the
buried word line 17 positioned at a lower level than the top
surface of the active region 13. The buried word line 17 may be
made of or include a metal, a metal nitride, or a combination
thereof. For example, the buried word line 17 may be formed of a
titanium nitride (TiN), tungsten (W), or a titanium
nitride/tungsten (TiN/W). The titanium nitride/tungsten (TIN/W) may
be formed by conformally forming a titanium nitride and then
filling a portion of the gate trench 15 with tungsten. The buried
word line 17 may be formed of a titanium nitride (TiN) alone, and
this may be called a buried word line 17 of a TiN-only
structure.
[0081] Subsequently, the gate capping layer 18 may be formed over
the buried word line 17. The gate capping layer 18 may be made of
or include a dielectric material. The remaining portion of the gate
trench 15 which is not filled with the buried word line 17 may be
filled with the gate capping layer 18 over the buried word line 17.
The gate capping layer 18 may be made of or include a silicon
nitride. According to another embodiment of the present invention,
the gate capping layer 18 may be made of or include a silicon
oxide. According to yet another embodiment of the present
invention, the gate capping layer 18 may have an NON
(nitride-oxide-nitride) structure. The top surface of the gate
capping layer 18 may be positioned at the same level as the top
surface of the hard mask layer 14. To this end, when the gate
capping layer 18 is formed, a CMP process may be performed.
[0082] After the gate capping layer 18 is formed, first and second
impurity regions 19 and 20 may be formed. The first and second
impurity regions 19 and 20 may be formed through a doping process,
such as an implantation process. The first and second impurity
regions 19 and 20 may be doped with an impurity of the same
conductive type. The first and second impurity regions 19 and 20
may have the same depth. According to another embodiment of the
present invention, the first impurity region 19 may be deeper than
the second impurity region 20. The first and second impurity
regions 19 and 20 may be referred to as source and drain regions,
respectively. The first impurity region 19 may be a region
accessible by a bit line contact plug. The second impurity region
20 may be a region accessible by a storage node contact plug.
[0083] The buried word line 17, the first impurity region 19, and
the second impurity region 20 may form a cell transistor of a
memory cell.
[0084] Referring to FIGS. 4B and 5B, a first contact hole 21 may be
formed. To form the first contact hole 21, the hard mask layer 14
may be etched by using a contact mask (not shown). From a
perspective view of a plan view, the first contact hole 21 may have
a circular shape or an oval shape. The first contact hole 21 may
expose a portion of the substrate 11. The first contact hole 21 may
have a diameter that is controlled into a predetermined line width.
The first contact hole 21 may expose a portion of the active region
13. For example, the first contact hole 21 may expose the first
impurity region 19. The first contact hole 21 may have a longer
diameter than the width of a short axis of the active region 13.
Therefore, the first impurity region 19, the isolation layer 12,
and a portion of the gate capping layer 18 may be etched through
the etch process for forming the first contact hole 21. In other
words, the gate capping layer 18, the first impurity region 19, and
the isolation layer 12 may be recessed in a predetermined depth by
the first contact hole 21. As a result, the bottom portion of the
first contact hole 21 may be extended into the inside of the
substrate 11. As the first contact hole 21 is extended, the surface
of the first impurity region 19 may be recessed, and the surface of
the first impurity region 19 may be positioned at a lower level
than the surface of the active region 13.
[0085] Referring to FIGS. 4C and 5C, a preliminary plug 22A may be
formed to fill the first contact hole 21. The preliminary plug 22A
may be formed through a Selective Epitaxial Growth (SEG) process.
For example, the preliminary plug 22A may include SEG-SiP. In
short, the preliminary plug 22A may be formed without voids through
the SEG process. According to another embodiment of the present
invention, the preliminary plug 22A may be formed through a
polysilicon layer deposition process and the CMP process. The
preliminary plug 22A may fill the first contact hole 21. The top
surface of the preliminary plug 22A may be positioned at the same
level as the top surface of the hard mask layer 14.
[0086] Referring to FIGS. 4D and 5D, a bit line conductive layer
23A and a bit line hard mask layer 24A may be stacked. The bit line
conductive layer 23A and the bit line hard mask layer 24A may be
sequentially stacked over the preliminary plug 22A and the hard
mask layer 14. The bit line conductive layer 23A may be made of or
include a metal or a metal-containing material. The bit line
conductive layer 23A may be made of or include a metal, a metal
nitride, a metal silicide, or a combination thereof. According to
an embodiment of the present invention, the bit line conductive
layer 23A may be made of or include tungsten (W). According to
another embodiment of the present invention, the bit line
conductive layer 23A may be formed of or include a stacked
structure of a titanium nitride/tungsten (TiN/W). Herein, the
titanium nitride may serve as a barrier. The bit line hard mask
layer 24A may be formed of a dielectric material having an etch
selectivity with respect to the bit line conductive layer 23A and
the preliminary plug 22A. The bit line hard mask layer 24A may be
made of or include a silicon oxide or a silicon nitride. According
to the embodiment of the present invention, the bit line hard mask
layer 24A may be formed of a silicon nitride.
[0087] A bit line mask layer 25 may be formed over the bit line
hard mask layer 24A. The bit line mask layer 25 may include a
photoresist pattern. The bit line mask layer 25 may be formed
through a patterning method such as Spacer Patterning Technology
(SPT) and Double Patterning Technology (DPT). From a perspective
view of a top view, the bit line mask layer 25 may have a shape of
a plurality of spaced apart lines extending in one direction.
[0088] Referring to FIGS. 4E and 5E, a bit line 23 and a bit line
contact plug 22 may be formed. The bit line 23 and the bit line
contact plug 22 may be concurrently formed. The bit line 23 and the
bit line contact plug 22 may be concurrently formed through an etch
process using the bit line mask layer 25.
[0089] The bit line hard mask layer 24A and the bit line conductive
layer 23A may be etched by using the bit line mask layer 25 as an
etch barrier. As a result, a bit line structure including the bit
line 23 and the bit line hard mask 24 may be formed. The bit line
23 may be formed by etching the bit line conductive layer 23A. The
bit line hard mask 24 may be formed by etching the bit line hard
mask layer 24A.
[0090] Subsequently, the preliminary plug 22A may be etched in the
same line width as the line width of the bit line 23. As a result,
the bit line contact plug 22 may be formed. The bit line contact
plug 22 may be formed over the first impurity region 19. The bit
line contact plug 22 may couple the first impurity region 19 and
the bit line 23 to each other. The bit line contact plug 22 may be
formed inside the first contact hole 21. The line width of the bit
line contact plug 22 may be shorter than the diameter of the first
contact hole 21. Therefore, a gap G may be formed around the bit
line contact plug 22.
[0091] As described above, when the bit line contact plug 22 is
formed, the gap G is also formed inside the first contact hole 21.
This is because the bit line contact plug 22 is formed by being
etched to be smaller than the diameter of the first contact hole
21. The gap G is not formed to surround the bit line contact plug
22 but formed independently on both sidewalls of the bit line
contact plug 22. Hence, one bit line contact plug 22 and a pair of
gaps G may be disposed inside the first contact hole 21, and the
pair of the gaps G may be isolated from each other by the bit line
contact plug 22. The bottom surface of the gap G may be extended
into the inside of the isolation layer 12. In short, the bottom
surface of the gap G may be positioned at a lower level than the
recessed upper surface of the first impurity region 19.
[0092] The stacked structure including the bit line contact plug
22, the bit line 23 and the bit line hard mask 24 sequentially
stacked may be referred to as a bit line structure. From a
perspective view of a top view, the bit line structure may be a
pattern of a plurality of spaced apart lines.
[0093] Then the bit line mask layer 25 may be removed.
[0094] Referring to FIGS. 4F and 5F, a bit line spacer layer 26A
may be formed. The bit line spacer layer 26A may cover both
sidewalls of the bit line contact plug 22 and both sidewalls of the
bit line 23. The bit line spacer layer 26A may also cover both
sidewalls and the top surface of the bit line hard mask 24. The bit
line spacer layer 26A may be made of or include a silicon oxide or
a silicon nitride.
[0095] Subsequently, a sacrificial spacer layer 27A may be formed
conformally over the bit line spacer layer 26A. The sacrificial
spacer layer 27A may include a material having an etch selectivity
with respect to the bit line spacer layer 26A. The sacrificial
spacer layer 27A may be made of or include a metal nitride.
Hereafter, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the
sacrificial spacer layer 27A may be made of or include a titanium
nitride. A portion of the sacrificial spacer layer 27A may fill a
gap (which is the gap G in FIG. 5E) over the bit line spacer layer
26A.
[0096] Hereafter, for the sake of convenience in description, the
reference numeral for a structure of the lower portion including
the bit line 23 is omitted.
[0097] Referring to FIGS. 4G and 5G, a sacrificial spacer 27 may be
formed. To form the sacrificial spacer 27, an etch-back process may
be performed onto the sacrificial spacer layer 27A. After the
sacrificial spacer 27 is formed, a bit line spacer 26 may be
formed. To form the bit line spacer 26, the bit line spacer layer
26A may be etched back. As a result, the bit line spacer layer 26A
may be selectively removed from the top surface of the bit line
hard mask 24 and the top surface of the hard mask layer 14. The bit
line spacer 26 may have a linear shape that is extended in parallel
along both sidewalls of the bit line 23. The lower portion of the
bit line spacer 26 may cover both sidewalls of the bit line contact
plug 22.
[0098] As described above, after the sacrificial spacer 27 is
formed, a line-type opening 28L may be defined between the
neighboring bit lines 23. The line-type opening 28L may be in
parallel with the bit line 23. The hard mask layer 14 may be
exposed through the bottom surface of the line-type opening
28L.
[0099] The uppermost surface of the sacrificial spacer 27 may be
positioned at a lower level than the top surface of the bit line
hard mask 24. The uppermost surface of the sacrificial spacer 27
may be positioned at the same level as or a higher level than the
top surface of the bit line 23. The bottom portion of the
sacrificial spacer 27 may fill a gap (which is the gap G in FIG.
4E) over the bit line spacer layer 26.
[0100] Referring to FIGS. 4H and 5H, the lower materials may be
etched to be self-aligned to the sacrificial spacer 27. As a
result, a recess 28 may be formed below the line-type opening 28L.
To form the recess 28, the lower portion of the bit line spacer 26,
the isolation layer 12, the gate capping layer 18, and the second
impurity region 20 may be etched in a predetermined depth. The
recess 28 may be extended into the inside of the substrate 11. The
bottom surface of the recess 28 may be positioned at a lower level
than the top surface of the bit line contact plug 22. The bottom
surface of the recess 28 may be positioned at a higher level than
the bottom surface of the bit line contact plug 22.
[0101] The recess 28 may have a linear shape that is extended in
one direction, just as the line-type opening 28L does. From a
perspective top view, the recess 28 may concurrently expose the
neighboring second impurity regions 20 of the active region 13.
Also, the recess 28 may expose the isolation layer 12 between the
active regions 13.
[0102] Referring to FIGS. 4I and 5I, a line-type plug 29L may be
formed. The line-type plug 29L may fill the line-type opening 28L
and the recess 28. The line-type plug 29L may be formed between the
neighboring bit lines 23. The bit line spacer 26 and the
sacrificial spacer 27 may be positioned between the line-type plug
29L and the bit lines 23. The bit line spacer 26 may be positioned
between the bit line hard mask 24 and the line-type plug 29L. The
bit line spacer 26 and the sacrificial spacer 27 may be positioned
between the bit line contact plug 22 and the line-type plug
29L.
[0103] The top surface of the line-type plug 29L and The top
surface of the bit line hard mask 24 may be positioned at the same
level.
[0104] To line-type plug 29L may be formed by depositing a
polysilicon layer to fill the line-type opening 28L and then
performing an etch-back process onto the polysilicon layer. The
line-type plug 29L may have a line shape. The line-type plug 29L
may be a polysilicon pattern of a line shape. The line-type plug
29L may be in parallel with the bit line 23. The line-type plug 29L
may couple the neighboring second impurity regions 20 of the active
region 13.
[0105] The bottom portion of the line-type plug 29L may extend
inside and be in contact with the active region 13. For example,
the bottom portion of the line-type plug 29L may be coupled to the
second impurity region 20.
[0106] Referring to FIGS. 4J and 5J, a mask layer 30 may be formed.
The mask layer 30 may be formed over the line-type plug 29L. The
mask layer 30 may include a photoresist pattern. According to an
embodiment of the present invention, the mask layer 30 may be
formed of or include a material having an etch selectivity with
respect to the line-type plug 29L. For example, the mask layer 30
may be a silicon oxide.
[0107] The mask layer 30 may be extended in a direction crossing
the line-type plug 29L. The mask layer 30 may have a pattern of a
plurality of spaced apart lines. The mask layer 30 may expose a
portion of the top surface of the line-type plug 29L. Also, the
mask layer 30 may expose a portion of the bit line hard mask
24.
[0108] Referring to FIGS. 4K and 5K, a plug partial separation
process may be performed. For example, the line-type plug 29L may
be etched. For example, the line-type plug 29L may be etched by
using the mask layer 30 as an etch barrier. As a result, a
plurality of pillar-type plugs 29P may be formed between the
neighboring bit line structures BL. A preliminary plug isolation
opening 31' may be formed between the pillar-type plugs 29P. The
preliminary plug isolation opening 31' may be formed on both
sidewalls of the bit line structure. The line-type plug may remain
under the pillar-type plugs 29P. The remaining line-type plug may
be simply referred to as `a line-type plug body 29PL`. The
line-type plug body 29PL may have a linear shape that commonly
contacts the neighboring second impurity regions 20 of the active
region 13.
[0109] Referring to FIGS. 4L and 5L, the sacrificial spacer 27 may
be removed. The sacrificial spacer 27 may be removed through a wet
dip-out process. For example, the sacrificial spacer 27 may be
removed by applying a chemical through the preliminary plug
isolation opening 31'. Since the width of the preliminary plug
isolation opening 31' is big, the path for applying/discharging the
chemical is wide and short. Therefore, the sacrificial spacer 27
may be removed easily.
[0110] As the sacrificial spacer 27 is removed, a line-type air gap
32' may be formed. The line-type air gap 32' may be positioned
between the pillar-type plug 29P and the bit line 23 with the bit
line spacer 26 between them. Also, the line-type air gap 32' may be
formed between the line-type plug body 29PL and the bit line
contact plug 22 with the bit line spacer 26 between them. The
line-type air gap 32' may not be positioned between the pillar-type
plug 29P and the bit line hard mask 24 except for a bottom part of
the bit line hard mask 24. The bit line spacer 26 may be positioned
between the pillar-type plug 29P and the bit line hard mask 24.
[0111] The line-type air gap 32' may have a linear shape that is in
parallel with both sidewalls of the bit line 23. The line-type air
gap 32' may be extended to be positioned on both sides of the bit
line contact plug 22. As a result, the initial air gap, which is
the line-type air gap 32', may be formed in the space from which
the sacrificial spacer 27 is removed.
[0112] Referring to FIGS. 4M and 5M, a plug cutting process may be
performed. For example, the line-type plug body 29PL below the
preliminary plug isolation opening 31' may be cut. The plug cutting
process may be referred to as a full plug separation process. The
line-type plug body 29PL may be cut through an etch process using
the mask layer 30. As the line-type plug body 29PL is cut, the
preliminary plug isolation opening 31' may be extended. In short,
the extended preliminary plug isolation opening 31' may be a plug
separation opening 31 that exposes the second impurity region 20.
Since the line-type plug body 29PL is cut, a conductive residue may
be removed. As a result, the bridge caused by a conductive residue
may be prevented. Also, through the plug cutting process, a
chemical remaining after the wet dip-out process may be
removed.
[0113] By cutting the line-type plug body 29PL, a plurality of
island-type plug 29I may be formed between the neighboring bit line
structures when looked from the perspective of the line C-C'. The
line-type air gap 32' may be disposed between the island-type plug
29I and the bit line 23. The island-type plug 29I may include a
bottom portion 29B, a middle portion 29M, and a head portion 29H
that are stacked and extend vertically. The bottom portion 29B may
be formed by cutting the line-type plug body 29PL. The middle
portion 29M and the head portion 29H may be defined by the
pillar-type plugs 29P (refer to FIG. 5L). The middle portion 29M
and the head portion 29H may have a `T` shape.
[0114] The head portion 29H of the island-type plug 29I may have a
relatively wider surface area than the middle portion 29M. The
middle portion 29M may be adjacent to the line-type air gap 32',
and the head portion 29H may cover the upper portion of the
line-type air gap 32'. The bottom portion 29B of the island-type
plug 29I may be adjacent to the bit line contact plug 22. The
middle portion 29M of the island-type plug 29I may be adjacent to
the bit line 23. The head portion 29H of the island-type plug 29I
may be adjacent to the bit line hard mask 24. The line-type air gap
32' may be disposed between the middle portion 29M of the
island-type plug 29I and the bit line 23. The line-type air gap 32'
may be extended to be disposed between the bottom portion 29B of
the island-type plug 29I and the bit line contact plug 22. The
line-type air gap 32' may not be disposed between the head portion
29H of the island-type plug 29I and the bit line hard mask 24.
[0115] Through a series of processes that are described above, the
plug partial separation process, the wet dip-out process, and the
plug cutting process may be sequentially performed so as to form
the island-type plug 29I and the line-type air gap 32'.
[0116] According to another embodiment of the present invention,
the line-type air gap 32' may be formed after the island-type plug
29I and a plug isolation opening 31 which are formed concurrently.
For example, the island-type plug 29I may be formed by etching all
the line-type plug 29L through the plug isolation process.
Subsequently, the line-type air gap 32' may be formed by removing
the sacrificial spacer 27. In this case, the plug cutting process
may be omitted.
[0117] Referring to FIGS. 4N and 5N, a plug isolation layer 33 may
be formed inside the plug isolation opening 31. The plug isolation
layer 33 may be formed by depositing a nitride to fill the plug
isolation opening 31 followed by a planarization process. From the
perspective of the line C-C', the plug isolation layer 33 may be
disposed between the island-type plugs 29I. During the
planarization process for forming the plug isolation layer 33, the
mask layer 30 may be removed. The top surface of the plug isolation
layer 33 may be positioned at the same level as the top surface of
the bit line hard mask 24 and the top surface of the island-type
plug 29I.
[0118] The line-type air gap 32' before the plug isolation layer 33
is formed may have a linear shape, but the line-type air gap 32'
after the plug isolation layer 33 is formed may have an isolated
form. This is because the plug isolation layer 33 may fill a
portion of the line-type air gap 32'. After all, the line-type air
gap 32' may be transformed into an air gap 32 due to the plug
isolation layer 33. The air gap 32 may not be positioned between
the plug isolation layer 33 and the bit line spacer 26.
[0119] The air gap 32 may be positioned between the island-type
plug 29I and the bit line 23. The head portion 29H of the
island-type plug 29I may cover the upper portion of the air gap 32.
The air gap 32 may be positioned between the middle portion 29M of
the island-type plug 29I and the bit line 23. The air gap 32 may be
extended to be positioned between the bottom portion 29B of the
island-type plug 29I and the bit line contact plug 22. The air gap
32 may not be positioned between the head portion 29H of the
island-type plug 29I and the bit line hard mask 24 except for the
bottom part of the bit line hard mask 24.
[0120] As the air gap 32 is formed between the island-type plug 29I
and the bit line 23, parasitic capacitance between the island-type
plug 29I and the bit line 23 may be reduced. Also, as the air gap
32 is formed between the island-type plug 29I and the bit line
contact plug 22, parasitic capacitance between the island-type plug
29I and the bit line contact plug 22 may be reduced.
[0121] Referring to FIGS. 4O and 5O, the head portion 29H of the
island-type plug 29I may be recessed in a predetermined depth. As a
result, the island-type plug 29I may include a head portion 29H'
whose height is decreased. The surface of the head portion 29H' of
the island-type plug 29I may be positioned at a lower level than
the top surface of the bit line hard mask 24. A plug recess portion
29R may be formed in the upper portion of the island-type plug 29I.
The plug recess portion 29R may not expose the air gap 32.
[0122] Referring to FIGS. 4P and 5P, a surrounding spacer 34 may be
formed. The surrounding spacer 34 may be formed conformally over
the profile of the substrate structure including the plug recess
portion 29R by depositing a dielectric material over the profile of
the substrate structure including the plug recess portion 29R and
performing an etch-back process. As a result, the surface of the
head portion 29H' of the island-type plug 29I may be exposed, and
the surrounding spacer 34 may surround the sidewalls of the plug
recess portion 29R. The surrounding spacer 34 may be formed or
include a nitride. The surrounding spacer 34 may contact the bit
line spacer 26. The surrounding spacer 34 may contact the plug
isolation layer 33.
[0123] Subsequently, an ohmic contact layer 35 may be formed on the
surface of the head portion 29H' of the island-type plug 29I. The
ohmic contact layer 35 may be made of or include a metal silicide.
The ohmic contact layer 35 may be formed by depositing a
silicidable metal layer and performing an annealing process. As a
result, a silicidation reaction may occur on the interface between
the silicidable metal layer and the island-type plug 29I so as to
form a metal silicide layer. The ohmic contact layer 35 may include
a cobalt silicide. According to the embodiment of the present
invention, the ohmic contact layer 35 may include a cobalt silicide
of a CoSi.sub.2 phase.
[0124] When a cobalt silicide of a CoSi.sub.2 phase is formed as
the ohmic contact layer 35, a low-resistivity cobalt silicide may
be formed and contact resistance may also be improved.
[0125] Since the head portion 29H' of the island-type plug 29I has
a wide surface area, the contact resistance between the island-type
plug 29I and the ohmic contact layer 35 may be improved.
[0126] Referring to FIGS. 4Q and 5Q, an upper plug 36 may be formed
over the ohmic contact layer 35. The upper plug 36 may be formed by
gap-filling a metal material (not shown) and performing a
planarization process. The upper plug 36 may be formed by filling
the plug recess portion 29R (refer to FIG. 5P) over the ohmic
contact layer 35. The upper plug 36 may be made of or include a
metal-containing layer. The upper plug 36 may be formed of or
include a material containing tungsten. The upper plug 36 may be
formed of or include a tungsten layer or a tungsten compound.
[0127] As described above, the stacked structure of the island-type
plug 29I, the ohmic contact layer 35, and the upper plug 36 may be
simply referred to as `a storage node contact plug (SNC)`. Since
the island-type plug 29I is made of polysilicon and the ohmic
contact layer 35 and the upper plug 36 is made of a metal material,
the storage node contact plug (SNC) may be called a hybrid plug or
a semi-metal plug.
[0128] Although not illustrated, a memory element may be formed
over the upper plug 36 (refer to a reference numeral `230` of FIG.
2A).
[0129] According to the embodiment of the present invention, since
the air gap 32 is formed between the island-type plug 29I and the
bit line contact plug 22 as soon as the air gap 32 is formed
between the island-type plug 29I and the bit line 23, the parasitic
capacitance may be decreased. Since the parasitic capacitance is
decreased, the sensing margin of the device may be improved.
[0130] Also, since a plug cutting process is performed after a
dip-out process for forming the line-type air gap 32', the chemical
used for the dip-out process is readily removed and does not remain
in the structure which may be detrimental to the properties of the
structure. In short, the chemical remaining after the dip-output
process may be removed during the plug cutting process.
[0131] Also, since the air gap 32 is formed after the plug
isolation process, the air gap 32 may be prevented from a
procedural defect. For example, it is possible to prevent loss of
the bit line spacer 26 and prevent an impurity from going back to
the inside of the air gap 32.
[0132] Also, since the air gap 32 is formed after the plug
isolation process, not only the capping efficiency of the air gap
32 may be increased, but also the thickness of the air gap 32 may
be increased.
[0133] Also, since the island-type plug 29I is formed after the
line-type plug 29L is formed, the contact resistance between the
island-type plug 29I and the active region 13 may be improved.
[0134] Also, since the head portion 29H of the island-type plug 29I
has a wide surface area, the contact resistance between the
island-type plug 29I and the ohmic contact layer 35 may be
improved.
[0135] FIG. 6 illustrates a semiconductor device in accordance with
another embodiment of the present invention.
[0136] Referring to FIG. 6, an air gap 31 may have a linear shape
that is extended in parallel with the sidewall of the bit line 23.
For example, the air gap 31 may be extended in a Y direction. The
air gap 31 may have a linear shape that is disposed between the bit
line 23 and the middle portion 29M of the island-type plug.
[0137] According to the embodiments of the present invention,
parasitic capacitance may be reduced by forming an air gap between
a bit line and a storage node contact plug.
[0138] According to the embodiments of the present invention,
parasitic capacitance may be reduced by forming an air gap between
a bit line contact plug and a storage node contact plug.
[0139] Since the air gap is formed after a plug isolation process,
a procedural defect may be prevented from occurring in the air gap.
Also, since the air gap is formed after a plug isolation process,
not only the capping efficiency of the air gap may be increased but
also the thickness of the air gap may be increased.
[0140] Since an island-type plug is formed after the formation of a
line-type plug, contact resistance between the island-type plug and
an active region may be improved.
[0141] Since the head of the island-type plug has a wide surface
area, contact resistance between the island-type plug and an ohmic
contact layer may be improved.
[0142] While the present invention has been described with respect
to specific embodiments, it will be apparent to those skilled in
the art to which the present invention belongs that various changes
and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and
scope of the invention as defined in the following claims.
* * * * *